St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-03-13
"Including Billy Wells"


These are the closing words on many of
the printed programmes giving the speciality
companies that havesappeared at the Olym-
pic theater this winter. In another part Of
the programme appears the legend, Billy
Wells. stage manager. These two illusions
are to the same BILLY Wells" He is one
of the characters at the Olympic, and be-
sides knowing how to get things around to
make the play move off smoothly, and be-
ing an artist of more than ordinary versa
tility before the footlights, he is possessed
of unlimited good nature, and is an intelli-
gent gentleman. He has never been re-
corded as being stage frightened but
once in st. Paul, and that was when
in the absence of Ed Hilton he
made the usual announcement and
| introductons just prior to an eight-round
glove contest, with the gloves. between two
celered gentlemen. Billy Wells has been
in st. Paul nearly year. He first saw the
light OF day thirty-two years ago, and it is
reported that while yet in sWaddling clothes
he was wont to blacken his face and give
dialect Rotations. He has been doing
| something of this sort ever since TO his own
| enjoyment and that part of the general pub
| lie which has been in his immediate vicin-
| ity. He has been for dozen years pro-
fessional on the stage. and, by his own
statement, never walked from one town to
another. He was for two years star in
| the Beadle & Prndle Pleasure company,
and once organized company OF his own,
which did not prove as profitable as starring
for somebody else. He can take almost
any character on the variety STAGE on short
notice, Il OH the heavy villain in q wild
Western presentation of scenes from real
| life to TopSy in an Uncle TOMS Cabin"
company. He is married, and when not in
the theater leads the life of quiet family
man who enjoys himself wherever fortune
puts him.
The new clerk at the Ryan hotel, Jim
GlOdrey, is one of the best known hotel
clerks in the Northwest. For the past five
years and half he has been behind the
counter in the PlankintOn house, Mlwau-
kee, and was one of the most popular men
connected with the hotel. 1t was there
that Manager Emerson. as steward, be-
came acquainted with him. 'tJm," as he
is always called knows everybody and
everybody knows him. When he has once
seen man inscribe his name on the register
he never forgets either the face or the name.
He is tall and of very dark complexion.
| with quick piercing black eye that takes
| in everything. He will stand behind the
counter and crack jokes. but mis- eye never
rests and takes in every movement in the
hotel. He has a bit of pleasantly for every
body. is quick at repartee and can tell as
many good stories as any commercial tray
eler. Lovers of practical jokes have tried
continually TO ''do him, but he invariably
gets the better Of them, and the old ones
have learned to let him alone.
s:.*
H. S. Fairchild. the well-known real
c+ofa Of Ioft hi o;f, J,
his wife a week or ten days ago for q trip
to California. New Orleans and through the
South generally. Yesterday Il letter was
received from him dated at the Palace
hotel, San Francisco. March l. He is
greatly charmed with the climate and says
lit is beautiful beyond all description. -
AS strange as it may be regarded. he max es
but one alluson throughout the long letter
to real estate, in which instance he simply
mentions the fact that real estate in st. Paul
and Denver is relatively about alike. He
met at the Palace hotel Mr.. Thompson, of
Georgia, brother of the late Horace
Thompson, of st. Paul; G. H. Prior and
son, of Minneapolis; Thomas Barden, of
Ashland. and Sam Fifield of Wisconsin
Mr.. Fairchild was charmed with the
magnificent bay, aud the beautifully cult
waited and adorned Sutro Heights. OF this
he says: beautiful walks and drives wind
through the whole place, and endless, varie-
ties of most beautiful flowers, shrubs and
trees fill the grounds, While here and there
are greenhouses and museums of birds and
animals. and in and around it are literally
hundreds of pieces of life-size statuary.''
The writer takes off his hat to the Palace
hotel. He thought he had seen hotel be-
fore. He don't think SO now. He went
with guide through the opium dens OF
| bow, -, ~.o.l~4
in, and writes in very interesting manner
of what he sees